If you've been diagnosed with osteoporosis, your doctor may prescribe calcium and vitamin D supplements as well as osteoporosis drug treatments if they have concerns that your calcium intake may be low. Find out more in treating osteoporosis.

At-risk groups

Some groups of the population are at greater risk of not getting enough vitamin D, and the Department of Health recommends that these people should take daily vitamin supplements. These groups are:

all babies and young children, from birth to one year of age, exclusively or partially breastfed from six months to five years old – unless they are having 500ml or more a day of infant milk formula

all children aged one to four years old

people who are frail or housebound

people who are confined indoors, such as a care home

people who usually wear clothes that cover up most their skin when outdoors

people with dark skin such as those of African, African-Caribbean and South Asian origin

Menopause

Women lose bone more rapidly for a number of years after the menopause when their ovaries almost stop producing oestrogen, which has a protective effect on bones. There are no specific calcium or vitamin D recommendations for the menopause, however a healthy balanced diet, including calcium and vitamin D, will help slow down the rate of bone loss.

Vegans

Non-vegans get most of their calcium from dairy foods (milk, cheese and yoghurt), but vegans can get it from other foods.

Good sources of calcium for vegans include:

fortified soya, rice and oat drinks

calcium-set tofu

sesame seeds and tahini

pulses

brown and white bread (in the UK calcium is added to white and brown flour by law)

dried fruit such as raisins, prunes, figs and dried apricots

The vegan diet contains little, if any, vitamin D without fortified foods or supplements so try to get sufficient sunlight exposure during the UK summer.

Vegan sources of vitamin D are:

exposure to summer sunshine – remember to cover up or protect your skin before it starts to turn red or burn (see sunlight and vitamin D)

During pregnancy and when breastfeeding, women who follow a vegan diet need to make sure they get enough vitamins and minerals for their child to develop healthily. Read vegetarian and vegan mums-to-be for more information.

If you're bringing up your baby or child on a vegan diet, you need to ensure they get a wide variety of foods to provide the energy and vitamins they need for growth. Read vegetarian and vegan babies and children for more information.

Too much vitamin A

Some research has suggested a link between vitamin A and osteoporosis. As a precaution, people who regularly eat liver (a rich source of vitamin A) are advised not to eat liver more than once a week, or take supplements containing retinol (animal form of vitamin A).

People at risk of osteoporosis, such as postmenopausal women and older people, are advised to limit their retinol (including those containing fish liver oil) intake to no more than 1.5mg a day by eating less liver and avoiding supplements containing retinol.